Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
C-771
2077i~
REOu~ NG. REPORTING AND VERIFICATION
SYSTEM AN~ METHOD FOR MAIL CARRIER PAYMENT
Related Cases
Attention is directed to U.S. Patent Number 5,119,306
filed January 2, 1990 and entitled Mail Piece Weight Quality
Control System and Method; Canadian Patent Application
Serial Number 2,052,903, filed October 7, 1991 and entitled
Method and Apparatus for Preparing Validated Mail Tray
Labels and Canadian Patent Application Serial Number
2,059,472 filed January 16, 1992 and entitled Postal
Automated Labeling System.
Back~L~ul.~ of the Invention
Throughout the history of the post office, there has
been a gradual evolution whereby the post office encourages
mailers to prepare their mail in such a way as to reduce the
effort required on the part of the post office for
processing such mail. As an inducement to the mailer to
prepare the mail in such a way so as to bring about faster
mail delivery, the post office offers mailers a discount on
such items as presorted mail and printing of 9 digit zip
codes. Discounts are also given when the mail is produced
in a manner allowing automatic processing with machines such
as optical character recognition (OCR) sorters and bar code
readers and sorters.
Even with present mail processing techniques that have
come into being as a result of reduced postage rates for
presorted mail, zip code mail and the like, the post office
is still experiencing difficulties in meeting targeted
delivery times for the mail. The primary reason for such
difficulties is the increase in volume of mail that has
taken place over the decades.
Systems and methods have been conceived and described
wherein the efforts required by the post office to process
mail has been reduced. One of the problems the post office
faced previously was that a significant amount of mail
- presented to the post office did not have the required
2077~5
postage or did not meet the requirements of postal
regulations. A scheme for overcoming this problem was
disclosed in Canadian Patent Application Serial Number
2,052,903 supra. In this patent application, a scheme is
disclosed whereby mail is processed in such a manner that
the mail is sorted to separate the local mail from the out
of state mail, the out of state mail is placed in trays in
accordance with their zip codes and a label is printed that
identifies the mail in the tray for subsequent routing. As
a part of this scheme, the post office is given a running
account of the mail being processed so that the postage can
be accurately determined and the post office is able to
process the mail further without having to inspect the same
to assure proper payment. Canadian Patent Application
Serial Number 2,059,472, supra, discloses a system whereby
labels can be printed for the tray and the sacks into which
mail is placed for a common carrier, particularly an air
carrier.
Although the concepts described in these two patent
applications addressed areas where implementation of
activities on the part of the mailer would benefit the post
office, there are still many areas where the amount of
effort required by the post office can be reduced.
In the processing of mail, mail that is being processed
by a mailer to obtain postal discounts is still sent to the
post office. This includes non local mail that is
subsequently forwarded to a mail carriers for delivery to
postal distribution centers. Certain functions are
performed within the post office after delivery of such mail
to calculate the transportation costs, particularly the
payment that must be made from the post office to the common
carrier. The amount of payment is dependent on the weight
and destination of the mail handled by the common carrier.
As a result, mail is still processed through the post office
and takes time and space away from the post office.
Clearly, it would be advantageous if a scheme could be
implemented whereby mail that is not within the servicing
2077S75
area of a local post office does not require handling by
such post office.
SummarY Of The Invention
A scheme has been devised whereby a mailer processes
mail in such a way that mail that is not addressed locally
is conveyed directly to a common carrier with sufficient
information conveyed to the post office to allow the post
office to verify the mail and to determine the fee to be
paid the common carrier.
The mail is processed by the mailer in such a way that
non local mail and local mail are sorted from one another.
The mail is placed into trays and the trays are labeled so
as to indicate the contents of the tray. The trays are then
placed in sleeves and weighed and a tag is printed
indicating the weight of the tray and the contents. The tag
is then applied to the sleeve and is scanned and the
information on the tag is up-loaded to the data processor of
the mailer.
The data processor of the mailer is in communication
with the post office and will send pertinent information
whereby the post office can determine and verify the amount
of postage for the mail to be charged to the mailer, the
destination of the mail and the amount required to be paid
to the common carrier for the transporting of the mail.
After the trays are tagged and scanned, they are placed into
receptacles and transported to the common carrier. Based
upon the information received from the mailer, the post
office charges the mailer for the postage required for the
mail and will pay the common carrier without having to
process all the mail in a local post office.
-- 3a -- 2077575
Various aspects of the invention are as follows:
A system for processing mail including a processor,
means for sorting local mail from non local mail, means for
traying the non local mail, means for printing mail
distribution labels, and means for placing a labeled tray
into a sleeve, the improvement comprising: a scale in
communication with the processor, a tag printer in
communication with the processor, a scanner for scanning
labels and tags in communication with the processor and
means for delivering trays to a common carrier.
In a method of processing mail including the steps
of sorting mail in accordance with the destination thereof,
sorting local mail from non local mail, traying the non
local mail, printing mail distribution identity labels,
attaching the labels to the trays and placing the labeled
trays into sleeves, the improvement comprising:
a) weighing the sleeved trays,
b) determining the routing of the trays, printing a
tag showing the weight and the destination and routing of
each tray,
c) delivering tagged trays to a common carrier, and
d) determining the cost of transporting the non local
mail.
Brief DescriDtion of The Drawin~
Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a system in which the
preferred embodiment of the invention can be performed, and
Fig. 2a is a plan view of a label and Fig. 2b of a tag
that can be used in practicing the instant invention.
Detailed Description Of The Preferred Embodiment(s)
2 0 7 7 ~ 7~
In order to eliminate the amount of mail that is sent
to a local post office for processing, apparatus and method
have been conceived whereby non local mail is processed by a
mailer and forwarded directly to a common carrier.
Provisions are made for giving sufficient information to the
post office that allows the post office to pay the common
carrier for transporting the mail, determine if the proper
postage has been paid by the mailer and verify the mail
content.
With reference to Fig. 1, a block diagram is shown
representing a system capable of practicing the preferred
embodiment. The system includes a mailer's data processor
12 that can be any one of a number of commercially available
computers such as an IBM Model 80 PS/2. This processor 12
is in selective communication with an office of the post
office 14, which performs accounting functions for the post
office which will be described hereinafter.
In Fig. 1, the conveyance of mail is indicated by the
double lines, communication lines are indicated by single
arrows lines and optical paths by dotted lines. Although
the conveying devices for conveying items from one unit to
another are not described, it will be appreciated such
devices are well known in the art and of themselves do not
form part of the instant invention except to the extent
required to perform the novel concepts disclosed herein.
The mailer's data processor 12 is in communication with
a mail processing unit 16 that is a combination of an
inserter and a sorter such as a Model Series Number 8100
Inserter, available from Pitney Bowes Inc., and a sorter
that sorts mail in accordance with zip codes. Sorters of
this type are commercially available and are generally
referred to as Optical Character Reader, Channel Sorters.
Alternatively, a bar code reader can be used where
appropriate. This mail processing unit 16 sorts the local
mail, which is placed into a local mail receptacle 18 that
is sent to a local post office 19, from non local mail,
which is trayed at a mail traying unit 20. The mail
processing unit 16 conveys information to the data processor
12 relative to the mail that is to be placed in trays and
- ` 2û77S75
- the data processor controls a label printer 22 to print an
appropriate label for each tray that is filed. A label 29 of
the type contemplated is shown in Fig. 2a and such label
will be applied to the tray in any convenient manner. The
information conveyed to the processor 12 includes the class
of mail and the weight of individual mail pieces, based upon
the number and kinds of inserts, so that the postage can be
determined. The destination of the mail is also uploaded to
the processor 12. Alternatively, such data could be
resident in the memory of the processor 12. Thereafter, the
mail that has been trayed has the label 29 on the trays
scanned and the tray then goes through a sleever unit 24
wherein each tray is placed within a sleeve and then the
sleeved tray is banded at a banding unit 26. What has been
described heretofore has been disclosed previously, see for
example copending Canadian Patent Application Serial Number
2,052,903, U.S. Patent Number 5,119,306 and Canadian Patent
Application Serial Number 2,059,472, supra. These patent
applications teach methods and apparatus for traying mail,
labeling the trays, and providing information to the post
office sufficient to authenticate payment of the mail.
After the label 29 is attached to the tray, the label is
scanned by a scanner 32 and the data therefrom is received
by the processor 12 so that a verification can be made that
the data on the label is correct. This data is received by
the post office which will make routing decisions based upon
the destination of the mail in the trays. Upon compiling
such routing information, the same will be sent to the
processor 12 by the post office 14.
Downstream from the banding unit 26 is a scale 28 that
weighs sleeved and banded trays of mail. Such weight
determination will be uploaded to the data processor 12 and
sent to the post office 14 to be used, in conjunction with
the destination data, to calculate the transportation costs
payable by the post office to the common carrier. A tag
printer 30 is in communication with the processor 12 and is
located downstream from the scale 28 for the purpose of
printing a tag 32 for giving the common carrier routing
information that had been determined by the post office 14.
207757~
A destination and routing tag 32 produced by such a tag
printer 30 is shown in Fig. 2b. The tag 32 produced by the
tag printer 30 is attached to the tray sleeve and the
scanner 32 will scan the tag for purposes of verification.
The scanner 30 is in communication with the data processor
12 that receives the data from the scanner 30 and sends the
tag information to the post office 14, again for
verification. Downstream from the scanner 30 is a cage 34
that receives a number of trays for temporary storage and
subsequent transporting. The cage 34 can be any kind of
movable container that will hold a large number of trays for
subsequent conveyance.
The cage 34, or cages, is then sent to a transporting
vehicle such as a truck 36 where it is transported to the
common carrier 38. The common carrier 38 will sort the
trays in accordance with the information on the tags 32,
will then place the sorted mail on other transport vehicles
such as an airplane 40, train, truck or the like which will
deliver the mail to a receiving station 42 of a postal
distribution center 44.
With reference to Fig 2a, the label 29 includes
information identifying the mailer 50 and his location
including his first three zip code digits, the destination
of the tray 52 and the zip code thereof 54, the airport 56
to which the tray is to be sent, and the tray contents 58
including the class of mail, zip code information and degree
of sortation. In addition, a bar code 60 in included that
contains all the information shown in alphanumeric form.
Fig. 2b shows a tag 32 having the destination 50 of the
tray, the first three digits of the zip code 52, the class
of mail 54, 56 and the identification number 57 of the
contract between the post office 14 and the common carrier
38 at the upper portion thereof. At the lower portion is
shown the dock number 59 where the tray is to be routed, the
airline and flight number 58, the routing information 60,
time of departure 62, expected time of arrival 64, and the
weight in pounds of the individual tray and total weight of
all trays 66 on the particular flight. The tag 32 also
contains a bar code 68 that contains all the information
-- ~077575
given in alphanumeric form. It should be noted that the
data on the label 29 is different from the data on the tag
32 for illustration purposes.
In operation, the processor 12 will have a mailing list
for a particular run of mail and will also have programmed
therein the contents that are to be inserted into envelopes
by the inserter of the mail processing unit 16 to form
mailpieces and will upload appropriate information to the
processing unit. It will be appreciated that the mail list
could reside in a processor of the mail processing unit 16.
The inserter will then operate either under command of the
data processor 12 or its internal processor and generate the
mail pieces in accordance therewith. Because the mail
processing unit 16 is under control of the data processor
12, it will be able to sort the local mail 18 from the non
local mail, the latter being directed to the mail traying
unit 24. After the mail is trayed in accordance with its
destination, the label printer 22 will print a label 29 for
the appropriate tray under control of the data processor 12
in accordance with the information from the stored mail
list. Reference can be had to Canadian Patent Application
Serial Number 2,052,903, supra, for details as to the manner
in which mailpieces are placed into trays in accordance with
their zip codes and how the data processor coordinates the
activities to assure that correct postage is paid, that the
requirements of the domestic mail manual are met with regard
to postal discounts and that the label printer 22 prints an
appropriate label that is placed in or received by a tray.
What has been described up to now does not form part of the
invention as the same has been disclosed previously.
The labels on the trays are scanned by the scanner 32
and the labeled trays are placed into sleeves and banded by
the sleever 24. The data resulting from the scanned label
29 is received by the processor 12 and the data is forwarded
to the post office 14. It should be noted at this time that
the label on a tray is primarily for the benefit of the post
office for verification and for the mail distribution
centers 44, which could receive such data from the post
office for purposes of preparation. The label 29, as stated
2077575
previously, will have specific information such as location
52 of the postal distribution center 44 to which the mail is
sent, the zip code thereof 54, the tray contents 58, and the
identification of the mailer 50.
The tray is placed into a sleeve and banded by the
sleeving unit 24 and banding unit, respectively. A tag 32,
which is referred to as a a destination and routing tag, is
printed and placed on the sleeve for the benefit of the post
office to provide verification information and the common
carrier so that the distribution center to which the mail is
to be sent is identified. Before printing the tag 32,
however, the tray is weighed. This weighing by the scale 26
is for the purpose of allowing the post office to determine
the fee due to the common carrier for transporting the tray.
Whereas the post office 14 determines the postage due from
the mailer based upon individual mailpieces, the common
carrier is paid in accordance with the bulk weight of the
"freight" and its destination. The tag printer 28 will
print the tag 32, such as that shown in Fig. 2b, under
control of the processor 12 that has data resulting from
scanning of the label 29, weighing of the tray and
destination and routing information from the post office.
The data printed on the tag 32 will show the destination of
the tray as well as the contents of the tray and the weight.
All this data will be included in bar code format 60 so that
the information can be derived quickly using a bar code
scanner. After the tag 32 has been scanned by the scanner
32 the trays are placed into the cages 34. These cages are
then placed on transportation vehicles 36, sent to a common
carrier 38 where the trays will be sorted in accordance with
their destination and eventually to postal distribution
centers 44.
Thus what has been shown and described is an apparatus
and method for the purpose of processing non local mail
whereby the local post office need not physically receive
the non local mail and be required to subsequently transport
it to a common carrier. In this way, a large volume of mail
need not be handled by a local post office and time and
expense are saved.
